Captain America is one of the most recognizable superheroes in popular culture and has been since his first appearance in Captain America Comics #1 in 1941. The original costume designed by Jack Kirby was instantly iconic and its enduring appeal is a testament to it being one of the best in all of Marvel Comics. But it's not the only Captain America costume, and there are many other great versions in the comics.
Some of the best Captain America costumes in the comics build off of the power of the original look, interpreting its key elements in new and unique ways. The best costumes also push toward a more realistic depiction of the costume, proving its timelessness while also updating it constantly for modern audiences, influencing the MCU and also taking cues from the movies as well.
Kamala Khan
One of the most powerful variants of Captain America is the Kamala Khan version from the multiverse. This version wears a fantastic red and blue costume that fuses elements of the classic Cap design and the Ms. Marvel look, making it one of the best from the comics.
This version maintains her signature red sash and golden bracelets while adopting most of the jumpsuit design from Captain America. She appeared briefly in the comics and could very well appear as a variant in the MCU multiverse in movies or shows.
Peggy Carter
The Peggy Carter version of Captain America from Exiles #3 combines a strong sense of the MCU armored look of Steve Rogers and a practical consideration unique to Peggy - she wears a tie under the armor - to create one of the best Captain America costumes in the comics.
This design combines the red, white, and blue iconography with combat fatigues in the tros that blend the best of the many disparate takes on the costume. It's become very influential, leading to Peggy's What If..? look and what is likely going to be a future live-action one as well.
Secret Empire
Secret Empire is one of the more controversial modern Captain America storylines, but it produced one of his best costumes. Steve Rogers emerges from the ordeal with HYDRA with a costume that succeeds in translating the cinematic takes on the costume back into the comics.
The design changes up some of the design elements, particularly the interpolation of the red and white stripes, but amps up the armor and practical utility of the costume reflecting much of what the MCU costumes had been doing to that point.
Ultimates (Modern)
Like many Marvel Comics characters in the early 2000s, Captain America got a modern update in Ultimate Comics. His Ultimate Comics is one of the best for pushing the classic design into practical purpose, creating a distinct and influential look.
The padded and pouched design doesn't mimic the excesses of the 90s but military reality and this design were enormously influential on the MCU costume of the character, honoring the past while pushing forward into the future.
The Captain
Comic book fans know U.S. Agent wore a dark version of the Captain America suit, but they may not know that Steve Rogers wore it first. The black and red design is a dramatic departure from the classic but one of the best costumes in its simplicity.
The costume abandons blue for black, creating a look that is symbolic of the 'grim and gritty' 80s period that also produced the black suit Spider-Man, but reflective of Captain America's complex and sometimes contentious relationship with his role as a national hero.
Super Soldier
In 2010, Captain America received one of his best modern costumes. The Super Soldier costume was a new and refreshing take on the classic costume that replaced the core elements with a more standard military approach in his use of stars and bars.
The design eschewed the shield and helmet, but the design remained singular and memorable, so much so that it later influenced the stealth suit Captain America wore in The Winter Soldier, one of the best MCU movies, and in later movies as well.
Ultimates (World War II)
The Ultimate Captain America costume from World War II goes back to the original design but makes it a more practical design that instantly makes it one of the best. The costume maintained the core design elements but in a vividly realistic fashion.
Borne out of some of the best Captain America comics of the 2000s, the costume was highly influential on the MCU version of the same, and arguably influenced the entire practical aesthetic of the MCU, especially in the early period of the franchise.
Sam Wilson
Sam Wilson's costume from his time as Captain America was so iconic the MCU has borrowed it more or less wholesale. The costume is one of the best in Marvel Comics for combining elements of both Sam's look as Falcon and the classic Captain America look.
The use of the star and wings on the chest is a powerful visual element that echoes Sam's military background and also melds together the visual motifs of Falcon and Captain America in a way that is instantly recognizable and memorable.
Bucky Barnes
With a modern design that features a brilliant callback to the original pointed shield of Captain America in the Golden Age, the Bucky Barnes Captain America costume is one of the best in the way it straddles the modern-day and the past.
The use of black through the costume also adds a nice distinctive touch that reflects Bucky's dark past as the Winter Soldier. Comic book fans know Bucky Barnes has gone through some major changes and this 2008 era for the character was one of the best.
Classic Costume
The classic costume of Captain America is undoubtedly the best and the proof is in its timelessness. The costume, designed by legendary artist Jack Kirby, has remained virtually unchanged since its very appearance in Captain America Comics #1 in 1941.
All the iconic elements are present on the cover page, with the only changes being subtle interpretations of the A on his skullcap and his neck being covered. Every Captain America costume in the comics descends from this one and in some ways, every Marvel costume does as well.
